Buckle



Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT -o1-I11=rcr.

OSCAR I. CARLSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 DEERE &

MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BUCKLE.

i Application filed October 7, 1926. Serial No. 189,968.

The present invention relates to buckles and has particular reference to that type of buckle wherein the strap or belt is secured by a gripping or clamping pressure as distinguished from having a tongue pass through holes therein.

The objects of the invention are to provide a buckle of this type which will not chafe,

abrade, or wear the strands or surface of the strap; which will securely hold the strap against slippage; which can be easily released simply by the rotation of a clamping key; which will be very simple and inexpensive to construct; and in which the two operating partswill be permanently fastened together %0 safeguard them against separation and oss.

The buckle which I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawing has been developed for adjusting the conveyor belts on harvesters and like agricultural implements, and certain features inherent in the buckle particularly adapt it tothis use. However, it will be understood that the buckle has more general utility than this specific use.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the harvester belt, its adjusting straps and the present buckle.

, Figure 2 is an elevationalview of the buckle and the connected strap ends.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the buckle alone, as viewed from the opposite side.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the two parts of the buckle prior'to assembling, and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of ,Figure 3.

The buckle comprises a frame member 6 and a clamping bar or key 7 pivotally mount ed therein. One end of the frame member 6 is formed with a suitable attaching portion 8 to which the fixed end of the strap is attached. Preferably, this attaching portion is constructed in the form of an elongated eye through which the end of a strap is looped and fastened. The other end of the frame is of U-shape, having extending pivot eyes 10 and 11 for receiving the clamping bar 7. It will be observed from Figure 1 that these eral plane of the buckle frame so as to dispose the axis of theclamping bar in offset or dropped relation. Inclined shoulders 12 are formed along the inner sides of the pivot eyes,

pivot eyes are olfs'et or dropped from the genleading from the lower sides ofthe eye openings up to thetransverse gripping edge 13 in amm or the bottom of the U. This gripping edge is 1 formed with a plurality of relatively blunt projections 14 for increasing the frictional area against which the adjustable strap portion can be the buckle.

pressed in clamping the strap in a The clamping bar or key 7 has end shank portions 16 and 17 adapted to be received in the eyes 10 and 11. Intermediate these shank portions the bar is formed with a -laterally projecting wedge portion 18 which serves as 5 an eccentric gripping member adapted to i press or wedge the strap against the projections 14: Beyond the shank portionl'i, the bar is formed with a looped keyend' 19, forming a thumb piece by which the clamping bar can be rotated. The'space between the gripping edge 13 and the bar 7 constitutes a gripping slot 20, the width of which is increased or diminished by wedge portion 18.

In assembling the buckle the end 16 of: the clamping bar is inserted through the pivot eye 11 of the main buckle frame. As shown the rotation of: the

in Figure 4, this pivot eye is given a tapered elongated form in the construction of the buckle member 6 so that the-wedge portion 18 can be slipped through this eye. After the shank end 16 has been set in the pivot eye 10, crimping pressure is exerted on the pivot eye 11 so asto close the elongated end thereof around the shank portion 17 and pre- Jvent removal or accidental disengagement of the clamping bar out through this eye. The clamping bar can only be assembled in the frame member 6 by inserting the wedge portion 18 through the elongated end of the pivot eye 11, which precludes any possibility of.erroneous assembly of the buckle. When thus assembled, the ends of the wedge portion 18 are in position to engage the sloping shoulders 12 when the clamping bar is rotated to swing the wedge portion toward the projections 14. These stop surfaces, are inclined at the proper angle to permit the wedge portion 18 to revolve into a position facing the projections 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, at which time the clamping s ot 20 is at its narrowest width and the strap is wedged into the irregular gripping edge 13. The stop'surfaces prevent theclamping bar from being potated beyond this point of maximum gripping and thereby releasing the strap. The clamping bar can only be swung into its clamping position by rotation in one direction, as any effort to revolve the clamping bar in the opposite direction will bring the ends of the wedge portion 18 against stop shoulders 12 occurring at the ends of the sloping shoulders 12, and at such time the strap can slip freely through the buckle, apprising the user that the clamping bar has not been turned in the proper direction.

Figure 1 illustrates a ty ical use of my buckle on a harvester belt as Before described. These harvester belts are quite wide and it is customary to employ two or more buckles to provide for adjusting the length of the belt. The belts are generally made of canvas and it is necessary that they .be adjusted quite frequently to take care of variations in length, resultlng principally from exposure to weather conditions. The harvester belt is indicated at 21, the two overlapping ends thereof being shown in this figure. It is customary to stitch or otherwise secure strap portions 22 and 23 to the ends of this belt, two or more pairs of such strap portions being secured-at spaced points across the meeting edges of the belt. One end of each strap portion 22 is passed through the fastening eye 8 of the buckle, and the end of the other adjustable strap portion 23 is looped through the eye 8 and is then passed back through the clamping slot 20 defined between the clamping bar 7 and the gripping ed e 13.

he strap portion 23 is passed through this grippin slot after the clamping bar has been revo ve outwardly inthe direction of the arrow in Figure 1. This affords a relatively wide width of slot through which the stra portion can be readily passed; After the desired slack has been taken up, the clamping bar is rotated counter clockwise as seen in said figure, to swing the wedge portion 18 up against the underside of the strap, and over towards. the gripping projections 14. This-forces the bight of the strap against these projections and into the depressions It'herebetween, resulting in a considerable area of frictional engagement between the buckle and the strap. It will be observed .that endwise tension exerted on the fastened end of the strap portion 23 will be transmitted to the clamping bar as a rotative force tending to revolve the wedge portion towards the proshoulders 12,. whereby this tension increases the grip in effect of the buckle; The parts arepre era 1y so proportioned that in revolvlngthe clamping bar into clamping position the wedge portion 18 passes slightly beyond-a center of maximum pressure and is forced down on to the inclined shoulders 12, whereby there is no possibility of the clamping bar beipgvibrated backwardly into own against the sloping air releasing position. In its clamped position the finger piece 19 at the end of the clamping bar lies in a plane substantially parallel with the plane "of the harvestersbelt 21 so that this thumb piece will not strike adjacent parts and become released in the travel of the harvester belt around its end rollers. The relativelyblunt projections 14will not abrade or injure the strands or surface of the strap 23, the gripping action being more in the nature of wedging the strap as distinguished from piercing the same. y

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a buckle, the combination of a frame having two substantially parallel slots therein, an adjustable strap. portion being passed downwardly through one of said slots and upwardly through the other, a rotatable member defining the outer edge 0 one of said slots, and a eccentric gripping portion on said rotatable memberfor gripping the strap.

2. In a. buckle, the combination of a frame having a looping slot therein, a grippin edge spaced from said slot and extending su stantially parallel thereto, a pair of pivot eyes projecting from the ends of said gripping edge, a rotatable clamping bar supported in said pivot eyes, a Wedge shaped portion on said bar adapted to press a strap against said gripping edge, and sloping shoulders associated with said pivot eyes and adapted to be engaged by the ends of said wedgeshaped portion for preventing said bar from bemg turned beyond its gripping position.

3. In a buckle, the combination of a frame having a'gripping edge, a pair of pivot eyes, a rotatable clamping bar supported in said pivot eyes, and an eccentric portion on said p bar adapted to press a strap against said gripping edge,'one of said pivot eyes being originally of sufficient size to pass the eccentrio portion of said bar and thereafter having its sides crimped together to prevent the removal of said clamping bar.

4. In combination, a buckle frame including side elements and an inner bar and an outer bar connecting said side elements and defining therewith an eye, said side elements being'extended beyond the inner bar, a clamping member rockably mounted in the eiten- I sions of said side elements and having an eccentric portion cooperating with the inner bar to clamp a strap end looped about said inner bar with its terminal portion inserted between the inner bar and said clamping memher, a strap end inserted through the eye and secured about said outer bar, and a strap end looped about the inner bar and having its terminal portion inserted between said inner 'bar and the clamping member.

5,. In combination, a buckle frame includ ingside elements and an inner bar and an outer bar connecting said side elements and defining therewith an eye, said side elements being extended beyond the inner bar forming v strap inserted downwardly between the bars and looped upwardly about the inner bar with its terminal portion inserted between said inner bar and the clamping member and passing upwardly over the latter, the clamping member being disposed in a'plane below the plane of the inner bar and the eccentric portion of said member moving downwardly and inwardly of the frame into operative relation to the inner bar and the terminal portion of the second strap.

6. 1s a new article of manufacture, a buckle including a frame having side elements and an inner bar and an outer bar connecting said elements and defining therewith an eye, the, side elements extending beyond the inner bar and forming supporting arms, and a clamping member rockably mounted in said arms and having an eccentric portion cooperating with the inner bar to clamp a strap inserted between said inner bar and the clamping member.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a buckle including a frame having side elements and an inner bar and an outer bar connecting said elements and defining therewith an eye, the side elements extending beyond the inner bar and forming supporting arms, and a clamping member rockably mounted in said arms and having an eccentric portion cooperating with the inner bar to clamp a strap inserted between said inner bar and the clamping member, the clamping member being disposed out of the plane of the inner bar. y

8. In a buckle, the combination of a frame having a slot therein, a second slot formed in said frame and a rotatable clamping member mounted on the outer side of said frame, said second slot being substantially parallel with said first slot, an adjustable strap portion passing downwardly through one of said slots and upwardly through the other, and an eccentric gripping portion on said rotatable clamping member for gripping the strap where it passes through said second slot.

OSCAR F. CARLSON. 

